Time Stands Still (I'm Not Looking Back)
by cuddlebeans
Summary: Beth, Daryl and a cabin in the woods. My contribution to Bethyl smut week!
1. Chapter 1

The cabin they'd come across was small, barely a one bedroom house but it was enough to keep them safe from the perils of the outside word. If only for a night or two.

Beth's ankle had started to heal in the weeks since the funeral home, but they still needed to find a place to rest. Somewhere to give them time to sleep, to eat, to keep up their strengths to go on.

Daryl had offered to carry her the last mile or so, seeing that she was visibly exhausted, doing her best to keep up behind him, but she declined every time.

"Nope. I'm not dead weight, Daryl Dixon. No more piggy back rides for me. Serious or otherwise," she told him, the tone of her voice determined yet mischievous.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

"Cause I'm gonna show you that ya don't gotta help me all the time. Gonna show you that I can do it all on my own."

"Alright, alright," he grumbles, knowing that this young woman is stubborn and she'll do whatever she sets her mind to, regardless of what he thinks or says.

When they finally get to the cabin, they clear it out quickly. No signs of any walkers looming inside. The interior of the cabin is fairly clean, a fine layer of dust settled over everything as if no one had been there since the start of the turn. Chances were pretty good maybe they hadn't.

The cabin was deep in the woods, nestled between a mountain and a thick grove of trees that kept it camouflaged. Inside was a large bed with a gorgeous brass frame, piled high with quilts and blankets. It sat beside a fireplace and a wood burning stove. In addition to the claw footed bathtub, this cabin was a dream come true.

From the second he opened the door and gave her the okay, that the coast was clear, she squealed. Practically pushing him out of the way to get inside her new home, eager to see what was waiting for her.

"Jeez, girl. Slow down. I know yer happy to be here but behave, ya hear me?" Daryl grumbled, looking around the cabin for food and supplies.

"You really are my chaperone. And a bossy one at that," she chuckled, plopping down on the bed to unlace her boots.

In the time since they'd left the funeral home, they had begun to relax around one another a little more. Playful banter was becoming something that they both enjoyed, the humor being one of the only things to keep them going - the comedic relief a reminder that they were still alive, still going.

But at the same time, Daryl couldn't help but detect something else there. Something in Beth's tone that was almost daring him, pushing him. Since that last night at the funeral home, when they'd outrun that heard he had almost told her. Almost said that she was the reason his mind had changed, the reason he suddenly believed that there could be good people in the world. There could be, as long as Beth was around to show him that.

"Daryl?"

When he turns around and stands up from rummage in the counters, cans of food in his hands, she's right behind him. Her face soft and delicate, still so beautiful in any light despite the dirt and grime covering every inch of her skin.

"Would you mind heating some water up for me? I found a big pot and everything," Beth asks him softly, in barely a whisper.

"Ya, alright," he grumbles, setting the cans on the counter and taking the pot from her hand.

Leaving her in the cabin to get water from the well, Daryl can't help but feel the heat rushing to his head, pumping through his veins at full capacity, ready to burst and explode everywhere, leaving him soaked in his own blood for the first time in a long time.

Getting closer to her was one of the most painful experiences he'd ever witnessed. Beth was unlike anyone he'd ever known. Good and pure down the end, to the point where it didn't even matter anymore. How could a girl who'd lost her entire family, saw her mother and brother turn, watched her father decapitated before her very eyes still think that there are good people out there?

Daryl would never fully understand it. But still, it was infectious.

Waking up every morning, whether it be on the forest ground or the dusty floor of some shack, she was his reason to keep going. To keep pushing forward. If he didn't have Beth to prove to him that things _could_ be good, then what was the point of living anymore?

But still those thoughts were not enough, not compared to the ones encroaching in on him with more vigor and intensity every day. The need growing inside of him, in them both. He'd seen it in her eyes that final night at the funeral home and that scared him. That look in Beth Greene's eyes scared the shit out of him like no walker he'd ever come up against.

Like she'd do anything to chew him up and swallow him whole. The problem was, Daryl was getting closer and closer to giving in.

She shrieked with glee when he opened the door, careful not to burn her as he poured the water into the old bathtub.

"I can't believe this! A _real_ bath in a real bathtub! With warm water!" Beth exclaimed, throwing her arms around Daryl so swiftly she almost knocked him over.

"Ya, ya. Ain't just warm, pretty fuckin' hot so be careful. Gonna go try to find some food while ya take yer bath, alright?" he chuckled, patting her back awkwardly as he pulled away from the hug.

"Why? You just got back? We still have that rabbit from earlier. Please don't leave," she pouted, reaching for his hand.

"Beth," he sighed. "Go on, ain't gonna stay hot forever, alright?"

"Stay? Please?"

The smile that crept on her lips couldn't help but be transferred to his, as much as he attempted to wipe it away, Beth had gotten under his skin.

"Go on, girl," he muttered, sitting on the bed, facing the wall.

He hated this, every second of it. Knowing she was right behind him, carefully peeling off her clothes, but it was all what she had wanted and he'd be damned if he gave her anything else. So if that meant enduring this situation, he would. Even if the sound of her gasping at the hot water immediately sent that blood pumping from his brain directly to his dick.

" _Oh, Daryl,"_ she moaned, fully submerging herself into the tub. "Thank you _so_ much."

"Ain't nothin'," he mumbled in her direction, not turning his head even a centimeter.

The sounds of her bathing filled the tiny cabin, the hums of pleasure the warm water was bringing her, soothing her aching muscles. Cupping and lapping the water over her body, Beth washed away the dirt and grime, the blood and guts, this new found cleanliness bringing her back to life.

Although the water was much darker now, a muddy, mucky brown, she couldn't find herself to emerge from it, finding solitude in the warmth.

"This is the worst part? Isn't it?"

"What?"

"I don't wanna get out. It's too warm. Feels too good," she smirked, leaning her head against the edge of the tub.

"Don't wanna sit in there too long. Give yerself a cold or somethin'," Daryl mumbled, pulling a cigarette out of his shirt pocket and lighting it.

"I know, I know. I'll get out."

The sound of her leaving the water made him almost as nervous as when she got in it. The thought of her small, lithe body dripping wet left his head spinning. He never should have let her talk him into staying here, not while she was naked at least.

Before he could turn around or ask her if she was decent, Daryl felt her in the bed beside him, wrapped up in a flannel robe, a brush in hand.

"Hi," she smiles at him, slowly combing out the tangles in her hair.

"What are you playin' at girl? Don't 'hi' me. Go put some clothes on!"

"I will in a minute. Calm down, Daryl. I just got out of the bath, will you give me a little time to relax, at least?"

"Ain't got time to relax, not anymore. You should know that," he mumbled, turning away from her and what he knew lay under the robe.

"Well, I'm makin' time," she hummed, closing her eyes and laying her head back against the pillow.

They lay in silence as she nuzzles herself deeper into the bed, hands pulled up tightly under her chin, she turns to hug his body to hers, not unlike the emotional hug they had shared outside the moonshine shack. At first, he flinches, wants to pull away from her. Her touch is practically burning through his shirt, scorching his skin, but he cannot move. Cannot escape the feeling her touch brings to him.

"Daryl?"

"What?" he spits out, already annoyed with how close she is to him, the situation she's put him in here in this bed because she's too weak to say no. Already wrapped around her finger. Too lost in her purity and virtue and…

"Do you ever miss sleepin' naked? Before the turn, on hot summer nights, sometimes that's the only way I could fall asleep," she draws out in small whispers, fingers fiddling with the collar of his ripped flannel shirt.

The question nearly takes the wind out of him, like a swift kick to the gut. Suddenly the image of Beth sprawled out naked in her bed back at the Greene family farm flashes into his mind. Laying flat on her back, soundly asleep, the early morning sun barely risen, flooding the room with luminescent light causing her to glow, the peaks of her nipples standing out even in the dim light, the dark golden thatch of hair between her legs. All things he was trying not to think about having her laying beside him half naked anyways. But her vocalizing those images put him in absolute agony.

"Why ya askin' me shit like that for?"

"I don't know. I was just wondering." she sits up again, her body nestled up against his hip, as close as she could possibly get.

Slowly she finishes brushing her hair, tiny droplets of water speckling on Daryl, occasionally hitting his face. Taking a deep breath in, he does everything he can not to act on his feelings of both annoyance and arousal all in one. How Beth could bring both of things out in him with such intensity he didn't know, but doing his best to ignore her was only seeming to egg her on further.

"Would you mind? I'll stay under the covers, I promise," she proposes, peeking over his shoulder to gauge his reaction, her hands ready to untie the robe.

"Alright, I'm goin' huntin'," Daryl announces, quickly scrambling up from the bed.

"Daryl! You're being ridiculous! Please stay," she pouts, arms crossed over her chest. "We've bathed in the same stream, slept next to each other for all this time and you're gonna throw a fit because I want to sleep naked?"

" _You're_ the one being ridiculous," he spits out, slinging his crossbow over his shoulder. "Ain't gonna lay there next to ya while you're naked, Beth. Ya think you're trying to be sneaky but ya ain't."

He slams the door behind him, immediately feeling the sexual tension left behind him, left with Beth and that damn robe.

By the time he came back with a couple of squirrels, she'd already started the fire in the fireplace, tucked under the blankets, eyes cast on the fire. Watching the flames dance and frolic with the heat, reflecting back in the cool blue of her eyes.

She lifts her head to watch him come in, the quilt on top of her sliding down, exposing her pale, creamy shoulder. Sure enough, he knew if she'd wanted to lay in that bed naked, she'd do it.

Saying nothing as he cleans the game, eyes cast on each other, the tension is slowly building, gathering more and more friction, ready to topple over them both, leaving them bewildered and confused as ever.

"Thank you for getting dinner," Beth murmurs gently, sitting up to prop an arm under her head, tucking the blanket under her arms.

"Yeah, well, if I had stuck around here you'd have had talked me out of my clothes too, huh?"

Looking at her from beneath his lashes, he smirks at her amusement, the laugh that erupts from her lovely rose colored lips. He swears, he'd almost bet her areolas are the same color. Not that he wanted to stick around to find out earlier.

"You can do whatever you want. You want to sleep in this clean, comfortable bed in those dirty, walker stained clothes? Be my guest."

Daryl laughs, shaking his head. "I ain't sleepin' in that bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

"Over my dead body! You're sleeping in this bed with me, Daryl Dixon, and I won't hear another word about it," Beth snaps playfully.

"Yer crazier than I give ya credit for. Every day it's somethin' with you."

"So you're telling me, in your whole life, you never slept naked in your own bed? Or somebody else's?" she says with a tone a little more daring, more flirtatious than he's heard come out of her mouth in the few years he's known her. "You've never felt the smooth, clean sheets on your skin? Then you're missing out. And at the end of the world, you don't get a lot of chances to do what feels good."

That last line hits him hard. She's talking about more than what feels good, last chances. He thinks maybe Beth, maybe this cabin, might be their last chance.

"Guess there were a couple times I came home shitfaced, stripped down and passed out," he shrugs, turning away from her to readjust the painful tightness in his jeans.

"Not the same thing, but I guess it counts," she sighs, laying down on her back again. "Do you want me to get up and help you with the squirrel?"

"Nah, 's fine. Keep enjoying' that bed before I make ya get up and per yer clothes on," Daryl chuckles, slicing up the meat and putting it in the pot for a stew.

"I don't think so. I told you, I'm staying here cuddled up in this bed until we have to leave. Gonna enjoy every last second of it," she hums happily, nuzzling into her pillow on her stomach, the blanket riding dangerously low now, exposing her entire back. Dipping down so far he swears if she moved another inch her ass would show.

The soft curve of the side of her breast leaves him holding the counter for balance, dumbfounded with every new piece of flesh exposed to him.

"When ya catch a cold and we gotta scavenge for medicine, I ain't gonna be happy 'bout it, just so you know," he mumbles, glancing up at her every so often, secretly thankful her eyes are closed.

"It's plenty warm in here. We've got the fire, the stove, all these blankets. I'm not gettin' sick so don't worry about it."

As the stew simmers, he finds himself unsure what to do next. Of course his body is responding to hers, internally screaming, begging for him to lay beside her. To touch her skin, to kiss her lips - but his brain is telling him to run as fast as possible. So instead, he adds another log to the fire.

"C'mere, Daryl," Beth coos, her eyelids heavy, lashing fluttering up and down slowly.

He sighs reluctantly, toeing off his boots and stripping off his vest, laying down on top of the covers, doing his best to keep his distance from her. Giving into her into her is proving to be just as difficult as trying to stay away, her body buzzing beneath the sheets only a layer away from him.

"Isn't that better?"

"Guess so," he mumbles, looking up at the ceiling, hands on his chest.

She curls herself around him and he awkwardly lifts and arm to let her lay her head where his hands had just been, freezing when he feels her bare back. A reminder yet again, that she's completely naked. Not that he'd forgotten.

"It would feel even better if you'd get under the covers with me," she whispers against his chest, fingers toying with the buttons on his shirt.

"Beth," he warns, fingers trailing along her back in tiny circles instinctively because in all honesty, he can't help himself.

Not wanting to and knowing you shouldn't do something are very two different things. More than anything he wanted to slide under the covers, pull her body close to his and explore every inch of it like she was trying to get him to do.

But he knew he shouldn't because of who he was - because of who Beth was. He'd promised himself to protect her, to get her back to their family, to treat her with the respect she knew her father would have wanted him to. Taking advantage of her in a cabin in the middle of the woods wasn't included in those specifications.

She lets out a deep sigh, obviously frustrated with him. Her hints had been dodged and avoided, maybe he wouldn't have to fight her off much longer and she'd back off.

Suddenly he untangles his body from hers, going to check on the stew, stirring it carefully, feeling relieved to be away from the heat of her body if only for a moment.

Setting the lid back on the pot, he looks up to meet her gaze, the quilt now hanging around her waist, chest fully exposed to him.

 _Fuck._ She wasn't going to back off, that much he was sure of.

Daryl knew then that he had stopped breathing - scanning every inch of revealed skin, milky white, creamy and succulent. The slight curve of her hips, her flat stomach, pert, perfect breasts. Soft and supple, nipples hardened into peaks.

Unable to speak, unable to think anything at all, he dishes out their bowls of food, carefully handing her one and taking a seat at the small kitchen table with his own.

When they're both finished, he takes the bowl from her, blowing out every candle in the cabin, retreating to the opposite side of the bed. Beth watches him silently as he rids of his own clothes, hands shaking as he does so, visibly nervous at the sight in front of him.

A small smile paints her face as he pulls back the layer of quilts down to the sheets, down to where she is, the other half of her body he knows she's anxiously waiting to reveal. The second his head hits the pillow and the quilts are pulled back up, Beth wraps her arms around him, head on his bare chest, humming at the contact, entangling her legs in his.

When he feels her against him, he almost moans. The soft mound of her pussy warm and, _fuck,_ wet up against his leg. Her small but ample breasts pressed up against him.

" _See?_ How amazing does this bed feel?"

Her boldness doesn't even surprise him at this point, he can see it in her eyes, hear it in every drop of her voice, saturated with her feelings for him, Beth wanted this all along and he'd be damned if she wasn't happy. Even if that meant having to lay in bed naked with her. As painful and agonizing as it was.

"It ain't the bed that feels good, girl," he chuckling softly, the rise and fall of his chest bobbing her head up and down.

Daryl's attempts to keep his hands solely on her back had failed, slowly exploring the contour of her hips, skinny yet somehow deliciously round. Without clothes on, the girl had a lot more curves than he would have ever guessed. More than he had ever fantasized about at least.

"You feel pretty damn amazing yourself, _Mr. Dixon_ ," she breathed, taking his words as a chance to explore on her own, fingers dipping along his waist, teasing the hair that tailed along his belly button.

 _Fuck,_ he knew this was bad, that he shouldn't be here, shouldn't be in bed with her. Naked. That he should be on the floor, fully clothed, not letting her swindle him into this, no matter how badly he'd wanted it himself.

And she'd had to have known, had to have felt how impossibly hard he was, her own body just inches away from his cock.

" _Beth,"_ he breathes, trying to warn, her wanting to tell her all the things he'd been thinking. That she was too good and too pure, too absolutely everything she wasn't and he was everything she shouldn't want.

"Why not?" she whispers, licking her lips, gulping hard.

"You know _why_."

"Would it be so terrible?" Beth asks, sitting up, the expression on her face not unlike the one on the night they'd burnt down the shack. Urging him, pressing him yet again.

"It ain't that it would be terrible, darlin'," he mutters sadly, rubbing her back, savoring the softness of something so beautiful and delicate in this godforsaken world. "It's that _I'm_ terrible and-"

Before he can finish she cuts him off, sealing her lips over his in a forceful kiss, tongue sliding across his lips, begging for entrance, her heaving chest pressed tightly up against him, her strong but slender legs straddling his waist.

When she pulls back from the kiss, for only a moment, she looks at him sternly and spits out, "If you're too stupid to understand why I want you, Daryl, you might as well sleep on the floor."

He nods then for only a second before pulling her closer to him with equal force she had him, strong, callous hands cupping her ass.

"Do a lot better with compliments than I do insults, girl," he growls, crashing his lips into hers, hungrily exploring her mouth, releasing a deep moan from the back of his throat as he feels her grinding herself up against him.

Pulling away from her mouth, he kisses down her collarbone, her neck, shoulders, nipping and sucking as he goes along until he makes his way to her chest, carefully avoiding her nipples until the last second. Her entire body writhing and shaking in anticipation and desire. Finally, taking one into his mouth, he sucks greedily, rolling the nub around on his tongue, moaning against her skin in disbelief, wanting to give her anything - everything she wants.

Treating the other breast with equal vigor, his hands begin to explore further, hands gently brushing over the incredibly soft hair that lies there, slowly reaching her slick, wet folds, sending her body arching backwards as she calls out at the sensation suddenly.

" _Daryl-"_

"Shhhh," he he warns, leaving her breasts to place kisses on her face, her cheeks and forehead, her lips. "too worked up, darlin. I got ya, relax, okay?"

She nods several times anxiously, her eyes lidded with lust, biting her lip so hard he's pretty sure she'll draw blood any moment.

Sliding down to the edge of the bed, he props open her legs, pushing them apart further to admire the sight before him and he almost weeps.

Composing himself for a second before he can even continue, wary at the beauty of every part of her body, the sight of her pink, throbbing, wet pussy sending him over the edge. He can feel how uneasy she is, pent up and frustrated, just as anxious as he is and he reaches up to rub her arm, to kiss her legs, to look her in the eye and reassure her of what exactly he's not sure, but he does.

"You sure you wanna do this?"

She gives him a weak smile, biting her lip again and nodding her head.

"I absolutely want to do this."

That's all he needs, all he needs to know to continue, to allow himself to let go, to let himself enjoy the one piece of heaven left on this earth. The one girl, woman, who's shown him that maybe life was worth living after all.

Spreading her lips, he approaches her, his breath hot against her thighs, and he leaves an experimental lick, sliding up and down her center slowly. And she cries out, like he thought she might, fingers already tangled in his hair.

Using one hand to hold her down at her hips, the other on her knee, he continues to explore her folds with his tongue, astounded but not surprised at her sweet yet bitter taste intoxicating his senses, leaving him without much technique, having not been with a woman in many years. Not only that but being with Beth had him suddenly feeling no longer self conscious, not having to hold back those urges leaving him relieved and only wanting more and more of her.

"Mmmf," he moans against her, carefully circling her clit, eyes rolling back in his head, the vibrations of his voice sending a jolt through her core.

" _Daryl!"_ she calls out, her brow furrowed, eyes shut tightly, fingers gripping his hair almost painfully.

"C'mon, baby, I know you're close, huh? Know ya wanna come, don't ya?" he says as he pulls up, to watch her, two fingers pumping inside her now, his thumb furiously working at her clit.

"I do, I want to," she gasps for air desperately.

"Ya think yer so clever, hmm? Gettin' me naked in bed with ya. Now yer gonna get what you were askin, darlin. Don't I always take care of ya? Get ya whatever ya need?"

Beth nods her head vigorously, watching him intently as he seals his mouth back over her clit, sucking and slurping, his beard covered in her juices, the prickle of his facial hair against her skin leaving little red scratches along her thighs.

And suddenly, as she comes, she arches backward - so far back it almost looks painful, one hand tweaking her nipple, the other clamped firmly on Daryl's shoulder, nails digging into his skin.

Time stops as she comes, he thinks. He keeps working, keeps going but he cannot keep his eyes off of her. Can't fathom the sight before him, never having seen a woman come so quietly in his life, but the look on her face tells him otherwise. It reads nothing but pure and utter pleasure. Her mouth open wide, eyes almost shut but not completely, watching him as she comes, hips riding against his mouth, his tongue, his fingers.

She wanted this from the beginning and he has no problems giving it to her. Not now.

He pulls away from her, wiping his face against his shoulder, her juices dripping down his face, all over his chest. It should be awkward, he knows he feels like he is, but the look on her face, that sense of utter and total contentment tells him that whatever is happening between them tonight, he doesn't need to feel that way. Tonight, he can leave that all at the door.

Tonight, is for Beth.

Exhaling deeply, she gives him the widest smile he's ever seen, but she looks even more exhausted than when they arrived at the cabin.

He wraps her up in his arms, pulling the quilt up over them both, planting a kiss on her forehead.

"Guess you were right after all. Sleepin' naked ain't the worst feelin' in the world," Daryl smirks, pinching her shoulder lightly.

"Hey!" she laughs, wrapping a leg around him, pulling them even closer together. "You haven't even slept yet, just wait."

"I don't know how much sleepin' we're gonna get in this bed tonight, darlin," he laughs, running his fingers along her side.

"I'm sure we'll get a nap in there somewhere."

"Uh huh, whatever you want, Beth."


	2. Chapter 2

Things slowly started to become more easy between them after that night. Daryl didn't want to admit to himself that things should have been more awkward. He probably should have been ready to run for the hills but there in that cabin with her, in that bed all of those feelings dissipated.

Being around her no longer made him feel jumpy or anxious, but somehow strangely content. Her touch leaving him more relaxed than he'd ever been in his entire life. The ease in which she moved around him. Speaking of their past and present as matter of fact details, not with sadness or grief but only a staggering amount of hope. Something about that fueled the blood pumping in his veins even more so.

Her words, her kindness had become his fuel. It made him feel even stronger seeing that honest to god eagerness shining in her eyes. Determination to survive on what he had taught her and ever eager to learn more. Sometimes to the point where he'd have to slow her down, assuring her that there was plenty of time to hunt and track, butcher and smoke. They'd have all winter to get her into fighting shape.

Preparing for winter wouldn't be easy but they had a place to stay when winter came and that was enough. Minimal runs before the snow fall came would insure they had everything they needed, but Daryl still worried about her ankle. Didn't want to risk the chance of reinjuring it and bringing that up to Beth would only make her want to go with him that much more. If anything he'd have to find a map, scout out areas and try to make good time.

Heading back from checking the snares Daryl sees her waiting for him on the front steps, the slender hunting knife held tightly in her hand.

"Hi," she beams at him as she stands to meet his gaze.

"Hey," Daryl grumbles awkwardly giving her a forced grin.

"Any luck out there?"

He nods his head, holding up the rabbit and two squirrels he'd nabbed that morning.

"What have you been up to while I was gone?"

Setting the game down on the ground, he takes a seat on the porch next to her and pulls out a cigarette.

"Organized the canned stuff we've got, boiled some drinking water and washed the extra clothes. Although they're all full of holes now. Hung them in the cabin with some wire I found."

"Mmm," he nods exhaling a cloud of smoke.

He wants to tell her she did a good job. That he's glad that it's just the two of them out here. Even if they never found their families or their group ever again he's glad they've got each other, but those words never come out. So he takes another drag and another quick glance at her.

The cold brisk morning had her pale skin so white, so translucent he swears he can see her icy blue veins and her pulse pumping in her temple. She has a far away look in her eyes. Her mind far away from him, as far as he is from her right now.

Quickly moving her head to catch him staring, she beams back at him. "Thank you, Daryl."

"Fer what?"

"For everything," she sighs, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Ain't nothin'," Daryl shrugs. "Just tryin' to keep ya safe. Get us through the winter."

He takes his free hand and intertwines it with hers because he can't find the words but he hopes she knows. Hopes she can read him well enough to know what he's thinking. Squeezing her hand tightly he wishes he could explain these stupid mixed up feelings inside. He'd told himself that he'd let this shit go and just feel it. Enjoy this, enjoy _her_ and leave his nagging insecurities back in the woods with the walkers he'd killed.

"Thanks fer takin' care of shit here, while I was gone," he says looking away from her. "Ya did real good, Beth."

"Thanks," Beth blushes as she nuzzles further into his shoulder, laying her head on his chest. "We make a pretty good team, huh?"

"Wait till ya see what I found in the woods," he grins at her escaping from her grip to retrieve a large, beat up looking duffle bag he'd gotten from a walker's back.

"What is that?"

"Got ya some goodies in here," he put out the cigarette, stomping it into the dirt. "Best not sit outside anymore though. Let's get inside and I'll show ya."

Inside the cabin she plops down on the bed and he follows behind her, barricading the door. The walkers he'd gotten the bag from had been trapped inside an overturned vehicle on the side of the road just on the outskirts of the the forest. From what he could tell it was a man and his son. The boy looked to be about Carl's age and he figured Beth could probably wear whatever spare clothes the kid had. She'd be appreciative for anything at that point.

"Let's see what we got here," he mumbled unzipping the duffle bag.

Pulling out a couple of flannel shirts and a pair of thermal long john's that belonged to the kid, he hands them to Beth. Digging deeper he finds a few pair of thick, wool socks and some painkillers, toilet paper, a multi-tool and a couple of knives. From inside the car he'd nabbed what canned food they'd had.

"Perfect!" she hummed stripping off her jeans and panties before he could even stop her. He reminded himself that it wasn't necessarily sexual. Or at least it didn't have to be. Beth was comfortable around him and he didn't want her to feel like she couldn't be.

Being in such close quarters already having been so exposed to each other even before the prior night, something like this should be natural.

"A little long but I think they fit okay!"

The red long johns had to be cuffed up a couple of times but all in all they fit her well enough. Along with the wool socks at least she would be warm enough for the night.

"They're long johns ain't they?"

"I don't think that's why they're called that, Daryl," Beth laughed softly.

Casting a sweet smile in his direction she settled between his legs, both hands on his knees. She rubbed her thumb in small circles not saying much of anything. Just standing there looking into his eyes grinning from ear to ear.

"What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'?"

Giving him that cheeky grin Daryl couldn't help but smile back at her. No matter how hard he tried to hold back she always had a way of working her way under his skin. Everything about her was infectious and no matter how much that little voice inside told him to get the fuck out there was no way he could. She had him pinned. Cornered again.

"Can't sleep naked all winter, girl. Yer gonna be thankin' me 'cause ya got somethin' else to keep ya warm."

"You're supposed to use body heat to keep warm in the winter," she laughed at him, her face coming dangerously close to his. "Maybe I want _you_ to keep me warm."

"Don't gotta play games with me no more," Daryl said quickly darting his eyes away from her.

She lifts an eyebrow at him and pulls back slightly removing one hand from his knee and moving it to his shoulder. Letting out a deep sigh she doesn't say anything. Just stands there looking at him with this amused look on her face.

"I've never had to play games with you, Daryl. Maybe beat around the bush a little but…"

Daryl leans in to kiss her then suddenly sure about his feelings and it's sweet and slow and exactly what he'd wanted to shut her up. She hums happily against his lips, tumbling head on into his lap pushing them both back against the bed abandoning the game and the dufflebag completely.

Intensifying the kiss it's a jumble of mouths and limbs, quickening breath jarring Daryl's mind. Wrapping himself up so wholly in this woman that he'd only recently been able to comprehend as someone who could ever want him nothing could seem more unrealistic. Whatever it was that _this_ was.

Men like him could never end up with someone as sweet and genuine as Beth Greene. He was trash who had amounted to nothing even before the world went to shit. Under what bizarre circumstances had he gotten lucky enough to be here with her?

Back at the prison she hadn't crossed his mind many times until Zach had died. It was as if she existed in his peripheral view. Living and breathing as a unit of his family, his group but so rarely as someone he saw as someone other than a caretaker and a babysitter. The shining light in the darkness in all the turmoil that existed within those walls. Her voice echoing through the prison late at night, soft songs lulling him to sleep her velvety voice was able to cut through his nightmares.

Even then she had power over him although he did not know it.

Rolling over to straddle him Beth takes control of the situation this time, pulling her shirt over her head swiftly only to crash right back into his lips again.

"Guess ya don't gotta play games then, huh?" Daryl growled pulling away to bite at her exposed neck, pawing hungrily at her breasts.

"No," she sighed against his touch arching backward as he tweaks at the stiff peaks of her nipples. "I can have you whenever I want."

"Is that so?"

" _Yes_ ," Beth barely breathes out, grinding her hips against his hips again and again. Rolling into him with vigor, the thermal underwear now visibly seeping with her juices.

"Get these off then," he huffs, pulling her off him to dispose of the long johns. "Ya ain't had me yet, girl."

Obeying his orders she helps him get them off her feet giggling when they get caught. Her laughter cracks his nerves into pieces reminding him that this is _Beth_. Someone sweet and genuine and so goddamn _good_ that he can't help but soak up every inch of her. And she was right because she could have him whenever she wanted and he'd be there in a fucking heartbeat.

"C'mon then," he mumbles against her lips pulling her under the blanket, running his rough fingers along her bare legs doing his best to warm her.

But she isn't cold, in fact she's burning up. Burning up inside, her core smoldering against the denim of his jeans. Against his cock straining at his zipper begging for release. She's so close he can almost remember the way she felt against his fingers. Soft and slick, so impossibly hot and tight he couldn't think about that right now. Not before he even got the chance to taste her again.

"This what you want, girl? Huh?" he chuckles traveling towards her center. Beth hums in response nodding her head furiously.

Tilting her hips up in anticipation of his arrival he uses one arm to anchor her at her waist while the other continues it's search upon her body. Licking his lips he carefully blows along her thighs, teasing her as he gets closer.

" _Daryl_ …"

"Shhh...," he whispers between gentle kisses as he pushes her legs further apart. "Gotta stay still, hmm?"

Within a few moments he finds himself lost in her folds, lapping up the moisture because she's dripping all over him like she had before but now he _craves_ her. Wants her from the inside out, to claim her and make her his own. Thrust inside her and spill his seed deep within her womb. As risky and stupid as he knows that is it only gets him harder thinking about it.

She gets lost in it too and it's as if time stops for the both of them. Her soft whimpers transform into needy cries for more as she wiggles beneath his steady grip.

Never has he worshipped a woman in his life the way he's prayed, kneeled upon Beth's body. Every inch of her a holy, sacred thing his filthy, soiled hands feel unworthy to touch. But somehow still she begs him, eggs him on to continue.

She comes in spurts crying out his name, biting her lip, trying anything she can to stifle the moans escaping from her mouth with every swipe of his tongue.

Before he can even catch his breath she's already lunged at him again, tasting herself on his lips, pulling at his shirt and vest, eager to get them off.

"Whoa, slow down," he chuckles as she fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. "Got plenty of time for everything."

"Not letting you get off that easy this time, Dixon."

"What are you talkin' about?"

"You don't get to eat me out and run away or fall asleep this time," she whispers sliding his shirt off his shoulders, her small incredibly soft hands exploring his chest, the scars on his back he was no longer afraid to hide from her any longer.

"I ain't," he gruffly responds, hoisting her up against the backboard as she begins to fumble with his belt buckle.

"Daryl…"

Giving him that knowing glance she gently caresses his ribs, slender fingers gliding along the place where he'd gotten himself with his own arrow so long ago.

"Don't, Beth."

It was hard to run away from her. Hard to run from his past and his insecurities when she already knew everything there was to know. All his demons, all his secrets. There was no hiding from Beth at this point. If he did it would only ruin them both in the end.

"Daryl…" she says his name again but this time her voice softens and she takes his hand, pulling him closer to her in the middle of the bed.

Undoing his belt and kicking his pants to the floor he curls himself against her body, savoring the feeling of her bare skin against his. In his mind things were harder and rougher, so much more complicated than the most simplistic form of beauty in front of him. Beth didn't want anything from him but just to be with him. That much he could understand but actually experiencing it, _her,_ was another story entirely.

" _I want this_ …" she whispers barely turning her face to watch gauge his reaction. "I want... _you_."

He nods then unable to put up any more wall between them because she'd broken down every single one. One by one, brick by brick. There was no hiding from her. Not anymore.

Painstakingly slowly he runs his hand along her body as he strokes himself. Kissing her neck, her back, the soft spot between her shoulderblades he discovered was a ticklish spot. Something he'd have to make a note of for later. She sighs against his touch and they both begin to relax again, falling back into the place they were before his emotions got the best of him.

How easy would it be to lose himself in her completely? He wonders as she begins to push her ass against him, not vocalizing her need but showing, encouraging him to keep going. Gulping hard he tries to keep those soft pants and sighs she keeps making from pushing him over the edge.

" _Please, Daryl_ …"

He rolls her over on her side a little more, pushing her legs apart to get better access. Never in his mind had he imagined it would be this difficult for him he tries to push those thoughts out of his mind.

"It's okay…" she whispers sweetly before moaning as the tip of his cock comes in contact with her slick folds. "It's okay, Daryl."

"Shh...I know, girl. I know."

After a couple more minutes of agony he guides himself into her and the second she contracts her muscles around him they both yell out, now clinging to each other desperately. Getting used to the tightness he slowly starts moving, thrusting into her, cupping her breast with his free hand.

They stay this way for a moment still getting used to this new sensation. Daryl desperately trying to keep his head straight, wanting to make this good for her in any way he can but he can feel her tensing beneath him. Does she still want this? Had he already disappointed her?

Pulling out he tries to find the words to explain what it is he's feeling but before he can formulate a sentence she's already on top of him. Stroking his cock with vigor, blue eyes cast upon his face, intense and hungry. All consuming like she's wanted him, had him set in her sights this whole time.

"Fuck, Beth…"

"Shh…"

Within moments she's on top of him again, straddling him, moving her hips to meet his, riding out any insecurities he'd had before. She takes a hand and moves it to her clit without a word, showing him exactly what it is she wants. He feels bashful, feels stupid but knows that she isn't judging him.

" _Stop thinking so much_ ," she pants out in heavy breaths. "I want this. I want _you_."

Because she's always been able to read him even if he hides from her every chance she gets. Beth knows. She's always known.

Eventually he relaxes and forgets about the things that are haunting him because the only thing, the only person who matters now is Beth. It all falls away and he only sees her. Only feels the emotions she's dragged out of him one way or another.

She comes again within moments of him letting go, tensing around him her body suddenly unable to stay upright. He catches her, rolling them over to plant kisses on her face, anywhere and everywhere he can reach without ever having left her. Their bodies still connected, he swears he can feel everything she does.

Already having forgotten about himself, he's only reminded when she begins rolling her hips into his again and the sensation almost makes him laugh.

"Too selfless," she laughs against his cheek as he thrusts against her harder than he had before. "Always worrying about everyone but yourself, Mr. Dixon."

"Hush, girl. You got yours."

She laughs back at him and things become easier then. He's no longer than dirty old redneck who didn't amount to anything because he's got her. He's got her to remind him of all the things that could be, now that they've got each other.

Holding onto her hips tightly, his moments become quicker and quicker and the soft sounds of her little breaths and moans drown out all the thoughts in his head. She's everything. She always has been and she always will be, but now he knows. Now he knows better than to doubt the strength this girl has inside and the ability to bring that out in him too.

Pulling out quickly he spills himself on her thighs, thankful to have had enough sense not to make a mess of things. Not to put her in any more danger than she's already been in. She's got that far away look in her eyes only this time he knows she's right there with him.

Cleaning them both up with some rags they'd found around the cabin, he convinces her to change back into the long johns, a thermal shirt and socks, they clean the game together in silence. Every once in awhile he will show her where to cut, nodding in her direction. They eat in comfortable silence but something about it has him at ease in a way he never knew was possible.

Climbing back into the bed Daryl carefully piles on the quilts and blankets, tucking them under her body to keep her warm. He puts another log on the fire and joins her, pulling her closer to him. The winter would be long and hard, arduous and tiring but with this girl in his arms he's pretty sure they're capable of just about anything that might be out there waiting for them. Walkers and humans alike.


End file.
